Dear President Trump,

The ordinariness of being back home feels so strange. Because we’ve lived over 2,000 miles away from Laura’s brother and our brother-in-law (BIL) for over twenty years, not having BIL around is normal and yet now that he is dead, it feels anything but normal. It’s sort of like how Laura’s brother was initially saying he’s used to being by himself in the house because BIL traveled so much for work, but the unspoken part of that was how different it is expecting someone back in a few days versus knowing they will never be back. Laura and I are both finding that in order to have his death feel real, we are mentally poking ourselves with images of BIL in the ICU and hospice or of her brother home alone going about the routines he shared with BIL for 30 years. It’s so, so sad and disconcerting.

Today I felt a fresh wave of sadness thinking BIL didn’t get to live long enough to see you utterly disgraced and out of office. I think he would have appreciated how all your old pals are lining up to flip on you. Even Rudy thinks you are crazy to suggest flipping should be illegal and if Rudy is incredulous at that bit of self-serving fantasy, you can bet many thousands of Independents are going to take note. Unfortunately you can probably count on your loyal base until hell freezes over, but these latest revelations are going to shake anyone who’s been quavering, wondering whether you are really looking out for the country’s best interests. Once again I have the impulse to get a big bucket of popcorn and hunker in to watch the fireworks as Pecker (seriously, what a name) and Weisselberg agree to testify about the hush money deals in exchange for immunity. You are totally hosed. I hope. What’s key is where the inflection point is for your GOP lackeys. Surely something is hidden in those AMI archives that Pecker controls that could get the GOP scurrying away from you like so many cockroaches fleeing when the kitchen light goes on. I think it’s just a matter of time and probably not much time the rate we are going. I hope.

May we be safe to accept reality.
May we be happy to keep faith that you will be unmasked.
May we find healthy ways to grieve losses we can’t yet fully accept.
May you please not start either an international or civil war.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson